Braking for Breakfast: paddington

Atticus Finch Cafe

I can't even explain why it's taken me so long to get to Atticus Finch, being close in Paddington and a favourite of one of my regular partners in breakfasting crime, Y. Although funnily enough, I can count the number of times I've had breakfast in Paddington on one hand since moving nearby so maybe it's a case of too convenient? There's also that small issue of Paddington hills and not wanting to ride up them...

I finally visited the To Kill A Mockingbird namesake up on Latrobe Tce a few weeks ago for an early Sunday breakfast with Y. It's not overly obvious that it's there, tucked in a shady corner, but upon approaching I immediately felt the relaxed vibe and we were welcomed immediately by the friendly staff. Being early we had our pick of tables and we opted to sit outside, being a nice day, but in a shaded area on the front deck. The all-day menu is short but hardly simple with options deviating from the standard - think warm malted semolina & rhubarb, black sticky rice with banana, tapioca & coconut, miso baked salmon on Japanese rice w pickled ginger & dashi dressing. Coffee is made with beans by Coffee Supreme and apart from the usual espresso based, they do Aeropress and (to my sleepy delight) unlimited filter brew (both $5), which we ordered. That's right - unlimited coffee - you're welcome. Y decided she felt like the Mixed Grain Porridge with poached pear, berry compote, honey, pistachios & cinnamon. Despite being tempted by the salmon, I chose slow-cooked broad beans and lentils with a poached egg, tahini, tomato, pickled cucumber & toasted sourdough but with gluten-free bread instead, which was no extra charge. Already I was feeling like a winner at this point. Orders are taken at the counter which I hadn't realised but luckily Y knew the drill.

Menu clearly stating that you need to order at the counter #readingfail

Coffees arrived quickly - a carafe of the Aeropress for Y which came with a glass of ice and a star print straw for a nice touch and a cup of smooth filter brewed coffee for me. After asking for some water, we were asked if we wanted sparkling to go with our coffees, to which we immediately agreed. I'm not sure if it's just our coffee types or all black coffee but I like the touch! It was such a lovely morning and peaceful, even with more customers beginning to arrive, and perfect to catch up with a good friend.

Fancy - carafe of Aeropress coffee + stars

Our meals were served and unfortunately I spotted that I'd been given the sourdough instead of the gluten-free bread but that was quickly rectified with apologies - our waitress was so lovely that I almost felt bad asking about it! I'd expected that the lentils & beans would be like baked beans with the beans and lentils whole but instead they had been cooked until soft to a chunky purée, or a breakfast dip as Y proclaimed. So in dip-style, I tore off some bread, smeared it on, adding a bit of poached egg and cucumber and was in taste heaven. The beans and lentils had a Middle Eastern flavour and were like a delicious cousin of hummus, especially with the tahini sauce drizzled around the bowl. The pickled cucumber was crunchy and zingy and a few fresh cherry tomatoes added pops of sweetness. The beans and lentils were standout alone but adding a poached egg with a gooey yolk made me love it even more. It's a tasty, wholesome dish that will keep you feeling full for a long time.

Slow-cooked beans & lentils (14.0)

Meanwhile Y was loving her porridge, deviating from her usual semolina favourite. Served in a flat bowl, it is a thick porridge with deep red berry coulis on top with swirls of honey and a sprinkling of pistachio dukkah on top. Perhaps you could have it with additional milk but as is, it's like a warm Bircher. The use of multiple grain types made it texturally different from a plain oat porridge. It was lightly sweetened and creamy, with the berry topping added a contrasting tartness and the dukkah brining crunch factor. Being porridge I'm not sure if it will be on the menu much longer but after having a taste, I think it's one of the best I've had!

Mixed grain porridge (12.0)

Our meals were substantial and we left feeling very sated! I also had about four cups of that filter coffee...so I was rather buzzed for the rest of the day. I love the relaxed feel of Atticus Finch and with lovely service and great food, I'm going to have to go back ASAP. Sadly without Y (who has left me for Bahrain...I get it, they probs have better food) but I want to try that Miso Baked Salmon or maybe that Warm Malted Semolina....

Details

Atticus Finch Cafe
83 Latrobe Terrace
Paddington, Brisbane

M-F | 0630-1400
S-S | 0700-1400

https://www.facebook.com/atticusfinchcafe/
https://instagram.com/atticusfinchcafe/

$$
GF | DF | EF | V | VV
Breakfast, Lunch, Cafe

Ratings

Food | 9

Coffee | 8

Service | 8

Menu Options | 8

Value | 9

Bike-ability | -

Bike Friendly | -

See ratings for explanations.

Flatlay FTW

For your #yolkporn pleasure

Hello, bottomless cup of coffee...

An excellent menu indeed.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015
0 Comments

Shouk Cafe

breakfast

A couple of my closest friends recently moved to Collingwood St in Paddington and prior to moving, they were particularly excited about the close proximity to a new breakfast spot opening, Shouk Cafe, which was taking over where Jazzcat had recently vacated. While I was in India, a group of our friends including them checked it out and I returned to hear glowing reports about the Middle Eastern-inspired food. Shouk Cafe has also been popular with the food bloggers, Urbanspoon reviewers and even got a Gourmet Traveller Hot Plates mention. So when S, who recently returned from a holiday to the Middle East, and I were trying to think of a place to breakfast, I suggested Shouk Cafe in Paddington. Now Paddington is not a particularly bike-friendly area (at least not for me and my bike) with it's many hills so I decided this would have to be a non-biking adventure.

We planned to meet at 8:30am but I, running late as usual, turned into Collingwood St a little after 8:30 and then spent the next ten minutes looking for a park, maneuvering my car into an awkward space and then walking from the car which was about 200m from the cafe. Note to self and readers: parking in Paddington is painful. Anyhow, by the time I finally arrived at Shouk, S already had a seat by the front window. Brisbane is definitely cooling down and due to being next to the open door, it was a bit cold. But there were already people outside waiting for a table so I was just happy we had one. The friendly waitress appeared soon after I sat down to take our order so we ordered our coffees and asked for a few extra minutes to decide on meals.

The menu was already at the table when I arrived and although I'd already looked at the online menu, there were some minor differences. The all-day menu has some interesting options such as Goats Milk & Date Panna Cotta ($15), Lamb Shwarma ($16) and the Israeli breakfast for two ($35), which is a continental-style selection of rolls, pastries, smoked salmon, salad, cheese, olives, eggs and jam and house-made condiments. They also offer the standards like Avocado on Toast with poached eggs ($16) but with a Middle Eastern twist of added dukkah and pomegranate molasses. Their extras are all priced at $3 each or 2 for $5, which sounds like fantastic value given that they includes bacon, merguez sausage, leg ham and latkes, but there isn't really a basic menu item that you could order multiple extras with. The Grilled Zucchini & Haloumi on flatbread with dill, mint, hummus, olives and rocket ($14) appealed to me but I wasn't sure how I would handle the flatbread so opted for the Shakshuka (Tunisian style baked eggs) with toasted challah and olives ($17). I asked about the gluten-free bread ($1) and was told it was just sandwich bread so decided to leave it. Unless the bread is an integral part of the meal or great bread, I tend to not bother paying the extra to switch it. S decided on the slow cooked Lamb Shwarma on flat bread with hummus, pickled red onion, olives, marinated artichoke heart and lemon ($16). She was somewhat pained by the price given that a few months ago she was paying $2 for a similar meal. By the time we had ordered, the waitress had already been over a few times to see if we were ready to order so I get the feeling that high turnover is encouraged, possibly to cater for the number of people waiting for tables. It didn't really bother me though as I would appreciate it if I had been waiting!

Shakshuka

Coffees arrived quickly and my long black was smooth and not at all bitter. Meals took a while longer, about twenty minutes. I was starving by the time my Shakshuka arrive so was a little disappointed it wasn't bigger but it really was a good breakfast size. The sauce was thick with large chunks of tomato, capsicum and olives surrounding the baked eggs. I thought one of the eggs was over-baked with the yolk set but the other was perfectly cooked with a gooey center. The capsicum still had some bite to it - I would have preferred that it had been cooked for longer to blend in with the other ingredients more but that may just be the style. I had a small bite of the challah and it reminded me a lot of brioche and was delicious - pity I couldn't eat more!

Lamb Shwarma

S's lamb shwarma looked delicious with a huge amount of hummus smeared on the homemade flatbread and a generous serve of shredded lamb atop it with the pickled red onion, artichoke and olives. I had a taste of the lamb and it was flavourful and tender and no doubt complemented by the onion and hummus. I think next time I'd just take the pain of eating the bread to have that meal! I was a few other meals being served to other customers and they were all beautifully presented, especially the panna cotta.

We hung around a little longer but, seeing as we could see a small queue forming outside, felt bad about staying too long. We went up to the counter to pay and only then I noticed that there was a large, sunny room out the back too which looked like it fit larger groups.